Lock assembly
A lock assembly includes two mounting seats for mounting respectively on two objects. Each mounting seat has a shackle engaging lobe. A slide seat is slidable between the mounting seats for selectively engaging the mounting seats. A cover member is pivoted to the slide seat for pivoting between closed and open positions, and has another shackle engaging lobe. The lobe on the cover member is disposed between the lobes of the mounting seats to permit extension of a padlock shackle through the three lobes when the cover member is in the closed position while the slide seat engages the two mounting seats. The cover member is turned away from the lobes of the mounting seats to permit sliding movement of the slide seat between the mounting seats when the cover member is moved to the open position after removal of the shackle from the lobes.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lock assembly which includes a shackle that can be substantially shielded to achieve an enhanced anti-theft effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lock devices, such as padlocks, are in common use for locking together two objects. Typically, the objects are each provided with a lobe that has a hole formed therethrough. The shackle of a padlock extends through the holes in the lobes for locking together the objects, such as two door panels. To prevent the shackle from being sawn by a thief, the lobe on one of the door panels is provided with a bent guard plate extending integrally therefrom for protecting the shackle.
However, it is found that the bent guard plate often interferes with movement of one of the door panels relative to the other one of the door panels after the padlock is unlocked and is removed from the lobes, and is thus unsatisfactory. It is further found that the shackle is only partly shielded by the guard plate when the padlock is locked. The shackle is still accessible, and can be damaged, such as with the use of a hydraulic cutter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTherefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a lock assembly which includes a shackle or shackle members that can be substantially shielded when the lock assembly is in a locking state, and which eliminates the need for forming bent guard plates on lobes of adjacent objects that are to be locked together so as to avoid interference to relative movement of the adjacent objects.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a lock assembly includes first and second mounting seats, a padlock, a slide seat, and a cover member. The first mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a first object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the first object, and a front side wall provided with a first lobe that is formed with a first shackle hole therethrough. The first mounting seat is further formed with a first slide channel. The second mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a second object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the second object, and a front side wall provided with a second lobe which is formed with a second shackle hole that is axially aligned with the first shackle hole. The second mounting seat is formed with a second slide channel which is aligned and communicated with the first slide channel. The padlock includes a lock body and a U-shaped shackle mounted on the lock body. The slide seat has a sliding rod which is slidable along the first and second slide channels between an engaging position, in which the sliding rod extends into the first and second slide channels for engaging the first and second mounting seats, and a disengaging position, in which the sliding rod is disposed in the first slide channel and is removed from the second slide channel for disengaging from the second mounting seat so as to permit movement of one of the first and second mounting seats with the corresponding object relative to the other one of the first and second mounting seats. The cover member is mounted pivotally on the slide seat. The cover member confines an accommodating space, and is formed with a third lobe that is disposed in the accommodating space. The third lobe is formed with a third shackle hole therethrough. The cover member is pivotable relative to the slide seat for moving between a closed position and an open position. The first and second lobes extend into the accommodating space so as to be covered by the cover member and so as to dispose the third lobe between the first and second lobes and to enable the third shackle hole to align axially with the first and second shackle holes in order to permit extension of the shackle of the padlock through the first, second, and third shackle holes such that the shackle is shielded by the cover member when the cover member is moved to the closed position while the slide seat is disposed in the engaging position. The third lobe is turned away from the first and second lobes to permit sliding movement of the slide seat between the engaging and disengaging positions when the cover member is moved to the open position after removal of the shackle from the first, second and third lobes.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a lock assembly includes first and second mounting seats, a padlock, a slide seat, and a cover member. The first mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a first object, and has a rear sidewall adapted to face the first object, and a front side wall provided with a first lobe that is formed with a first shackle hole therethrough. The first mounting seat is further formed with a first slide channel. The second mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a second object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the second object, and a front side wall provided with a second lobe which is formed with a second shackle hole that is axially aligned with the first shackle hole. The second mounting seat is formed with a second slide channel which is aligned and communicated with the first slide channel. The padlock includes a lock body and a shackle mounted on the lock body. The slide seat has a sliding rod which is slidable along the first and second slide channels between an engaging position, in which the sliding rod extends into the first and second slide channels for engaging the first and second mounting seats, and a disengaging position, in which the sliding rod is disposed in the first slide channel and is removed from the second slide channel for disengaging from the second mounting seat so as to permit movement of one of the first and second mounting seats with the corresponding object relative to the other one of the first and second mounting seats. The cover member is mounted pivotally on the slide seat. The cover member has an L-shaped configuration, and includes a first cover portion formed with a central opening, and a second cover portion extending transversely from the first cover portion. The cover member is pivotable relative to the slide seat for moving between a closed position and an open position. The first cover portion is moved to and covers the front side walls of the first and second mounting seats, and enables the first and second lobes to extend through the central opening such that the first and second shackle holes are exposed from the first cover portion in order to permit extension of the shackle of the padlock through the first and second shackle holes when the cover member is moved to the closed position while the slide seat is disposed in the engaging position. The first cover portion is turned away from the first and second lobes to permit sliding movement of the slide seat between the engaging and disengaging positions when the cover member is moved to the open position after removal of the shackle from the first and second lobes.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a lock assembly includes first and second mounting seats, a slide seat, and a lock device. The first mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a first object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the first object, and a front side wall formed with an L-shaped first shackle member. The first shackle member has a first section connected to the front side wall, and a distal second section extending transversely from the first section. The first shackle member cooperates with the front side wall to confine a first latch groove therebetween. The first mounting seat is further formed with a first slide channel. The second mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a second object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the second object, and a front side wall formed with an L-shaped second shackle member. The second shackle member has a first section connected to the front sidewall of the second mounting seat, and a distal second section extending transversely from the first section of the second shackle member. The second sections of the first and second shackle members extend toward each other. The second shackle member cooperates with the front side wall of the second mounting seat to confine a second latch groove therebetween. The second mounting seat is formed with a second slide channel which is aligned and communicated with the first slide channel. The slide seat has a sliding rod which is slidable along the first and second slide channels between an engaging position, in which the sliding rod extends into the first and second slide channels for engaging the first and second mounting seats, and a disengaging position, in which the sliding rod extends into the first slide channel and is removed from the second slide channel for disengaging from the second mounting seat so as to permit movement of one of the first and second mounting seats with the corresponding object relative to the other one of the first and second mounting seats. The lock device has a lock casing mounted pivotally on the slide seat so as to be pivotable between open and closed positions, a key-operable lock core mounted in the lock casing, and a latch member mounted in the lock casing and having two opposite locking end portions and an intermediate portion between the locking end portions. The lock core has a central axis and one end that is provided with a latch engaging member. The intermediate portion of the latch member engages the latch engaging member. The lock core is operable to operate the latch engaging member so as to enable the latch member to move between a locking position, in which the locking end portions of the latch member extend respectively into the first and second latch grooves and engage the second sections of the first and second shackle members to prevent the lock casing from moving pivotally to the open position when the lock casing is in the closed position while the slide seat is in the engaging position, and an unlocking position, in which the locking end portions of the latch member are moved outwardly and respectively of the first and second latch grooves and are disengaged from the first and second shackle members to permit pivoting movement of the lock casing to the open position when the lock casing is in the closed position while the slide seat is in the engaging position.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
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The cover member 30 is generally formed as a hollow casing with a convex front cover plate 43 and a pair of spaced-apart side cover plates 44 which extend transversely from opposite left and right edges of the front cover plate 43. The side cover plates 44 cooperate with the front cover plate 43 to confine an accommodating space 432. The accommodating space 432 opens downwardly and rearwardly when the cover member 40 is turned downwardly to the closed position. The third lobe 45 is disposed in the accommodating space 432, and extends integrally and rearwardly from an inner surface of the front cover plate 43. The third lobe 45 is formed with a third shackle hole 451. Each of the side cover plates 44 is formed with a slot 441 that has a size corresponding to the size of the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 and that permits extension of the shackle 52 therethrough. When the cover member 40 is turned to the closed position after the slide seat 30 is moved to the engaging position, the first and second lobes 12, 22 extend into the accommodating space 432, and the third lobe 45 extends into a clearance formed between the first and second lobes 12, 22 and is positioned in the positioning groove 112 to enable axial alignment of the third shackle hole 451 with the first and second shackle holes 121, 221. At this time, the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 is extendible through the shackle holes 121, 451, 221 for locking together the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 and the cover member 40, thereby locking together the first and second door panels 100, 200. When the cover member 40 is turned upwardly to the open position after the padlock 50 is unlocked using a corresponding key and is removed from the lobes 12, 22, 45, the third lobe 45 is moved upwardly away from the first and second lobes 12, 22 for removal from the clearance between the first and second lobes 12, 22 so as to permit sliding movement of the slide seat 30 to the disengaging position, where the slide seat 30 is disengaged from the second mounting seat 20 to permit movement of the second mounting seat 20 together with the second door panel 200 relative to the first mounting seat 10 and the first door panel 100.
In use, the slide seat 30 is initially slid to the first mounting seat 10 and is disposed in the disengaging position, as shown in FIG. 10. To lock the door panels 100, 200 to each other, the door panels 100, 200 are disposed side by side to align the shackle holes 121, 221 in the first and second lobes 12, 22 with each other. The slide seat 30 is then slid from the first mounting seat 10 toward the second mounting seat 20 with the cover member 40 turned to the open position, such that the sliding rods 315, 316, 317 are extended from the first slide channels 14 into the second slide channels 24 to dispose the slide seat 30 in the engaging position, as shown in FIG. 5. The cover member 40 is then turned downwardly to the closed position, where the third lobe 45 is disposed between the first and second lobes 12, 22, and where the shackle hole 451 in the third lobe 45 is aligned with the shackle holes 121, 221 in the first and second lobes 12, 22, as shown in
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The door assembly to which the present embodiment is applied is in the form of a right-side-turning door, in which the right side door panel, i.e., the first door panel 100, is turnable relative to a door frame or a fixed left-side door panel, i.e., the second door panel 200, about a vertical axis. In this case, the entrance 13 for access into the first and second slide channels 14, 24 is formed in the outer side wall 104 of the first mounting seat 10, and the slide seat 30 is slid rightwardly to the first mounting seat 10 after the padlock 50 is removed so as to prevent the cover member 40 and the slide seat 30 from hindering or interfering with turning movement of the first door panel 100 relative to the second door panel 200.
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It has thus been shown that, with the use of the slide seat 30, 30′, which is slidable horizontally, and the cover member 40, which is turnable upwardly and downwardly, the cover member 40 can be prevented from interfering with movement of one of the door panels 100, 200 relative to the other. Moreover, since the slots 441 are sized to permit extension of the shackle 52 while preventing a cutting tool from extending thereinto for cutting the shackle 52, the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 can be safely protected by the cover member 40.
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The slide seat 30d has a horizontal top wall 310d, a connecting rod 319d extending downwardly from the top wall 310d, and three parallel sliding rods 315d, 316d, 317d which are disposed horizontally below the top wall 310d and which are spaced apart vertically from one another. Each of the sliding rods 315d, 316d, 317d has a connecting end portion connected to the connecting rod 319d, and a distal end portion distal from the connecting rod 319. During assembly, the sliding rods 315d, 316d, 317d are inserted into the first slide channels 14d through the entrance 13d. The distal end portion of a middle one of the sliding rods 316d is formed with an engaging hole unit which consists of a pair of engaging holes 311d. A stop member 32, which is formed as a U-shaped metal body, engages the engaging hole unit by extending two opposite ends 321 thereof into the pair of engaging holes 311d through one of the limiting holes 17d, 27d after the sliding rods 315d, 316d, 317d are inserted into the slide channels 14d. The stop member 32 thus projects from the middle one of the sliding rods 316d, and projects into one of the limiting holes 17d, 27d. The sliding rods 315d, 316d, 317d are slidable along the first and second slide channels 14d, 24d. The stop member 32 is movable with the middle one of the sliding rods 316d between the limiting ends 172d, 272d of the limiting holes 17d, 27d, thereby preventing removal of the slide seat 30d from the first mounting seat 10d, and thereby limiting sliding movement of the slide seat 30d between an engaging position and a disengaging position. In the engaging position, the sliding rods 315d, 316d, 317d extend into the first slide channels 14d and into the second slide channels 24d for engaging both the first and second mounting seats 10d, 20d, and the stop member 32 is disposed adjacent to the limiting end 272d of the limiting hole 27d in the second mounting seat 20, as shown in FIG. 25. In the disengaging position, the sliding rods 315d, 316d, 317d extend only into the first slide channels 14d and are removed from the second slide channels 24d for disengaging from the second mounting seat 20d, and the stop member 32 is disposed proximate to the limiting end 172d of the limiting hole 17d in the first mounting seat 10d.
The lock device 40d includes a lock casing 400d mounted pivotally on one end of the top wall 310d of the slide seat 30d so as to be turnable upwardly to an open position and downwardly to a closed position. The lock casing 400d has a convex front sidewall 407d formed with a lock core mounting hole 41d which has a key-operable lock core 50d mounted therein. The lock core 50d has one end provided with a latch engaging member 51d which is formed with a rectangular coupling hole 52d. The lock core 50d is operable by its corresponding key to rotate the latch engaging member 51d about an axis of the lock core 50d. A latch member 44d is mounted rotatably inside the lock casing 400d. The latch member 44d has two opposite locking end portions 441d and an intermediate portion 440d which interconnects the locking end portions 441d and which is thinner relative to the locking end portions 441d so as to define a recess 442d between the locking end portions 441d for receiving the latch engaging member 51d of the lock core 50d. The intermediate portion 440d is formed with a rectangular coupling protrusion 443d which extends into and which is coupled with the coupling hole 52d in the latch engaging member 51d such that the latch member 44d is co-rotatable with the latch engaging member 51d for moving between locking and unlocking positions when the lock core 50d is operated by its corresponding key. The lock casing 400d has a mounting beam 43d formed with a mounting hole 431d that is co-axial with the lock core 50d. The intermediate portion 440d of the latch member 44d is further formed with a cylindrical mounting stud 445d on one side opposite to the coupling protrusion 443d. The mounting stud 445d extends rotatably into the mounting hole 431d for mounting the latch member 44d rotatably in the lock casing 400d.
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It has thus been shown that, when the lock device 40e is in the locking state, the shackle members 12d, 22d are entirely shielded and protected by the lock casing 400. An enhanced anti-theft effect is thus obtained.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
Claims
1. A lock assembly comprising: a first mounting seat adapted to be mounted on a first object, said first mounting seat having a rear side wall adapted to face the first object, and a front side wall provided with a first lobe that is formed with a first shackle hole therethrough, said first mounting seat being further formed with a first slide channel;
- a second mounting seat adapted to be mounted on a second object, said second mounting seat having a rear side wall adapted to face the second object, and a front side wall provided with a second lobe which is formed with a second shackle hole that is axially aligned with said first shackle hole, said second mounting seat being formed with a second slide channel which is aligned and communicated with said first slide channel;
- a padlock including a lock body and a U-shaped shackle mounted on said lock body;
- a slide seat having a sliding rod which is slidable along said first and second slide channels between an engaging position, in which said sliding rod extends into said first and second slide channels for engaging said first and second mounting seats, and a disengaging position, in which said sliding rod is disposed in said first slide channel and is removed from said second slide channel for disengaging from said second mounting seat so as to permit movement of one of said first and second mounting seats with the corresponding object relative to the other one of said first and second mounting seats; and
- a cover member mounted pivotally on said slide seat, said cover member confining an accommodating space and being formed with a third lobe that is disposed in said accommodating space, said third lobe being formed with a third shackle hole therethrough, said cover member being pivotable relative to said slide seat for moving between a closed position and an open position, said first and second lobes extending into said accommodating space so as to be covered by said cover member and so as to dispose said third lobe between said first and second lobes and to enable said third shackle hole to align axially with said first and second shackle holes in order to permit extension of said shackle of said padlock through said first, second, and third shackle holes such that said shackle is shielded by said cover member when said cover member is moved to said closed position while said slide seat is disposed in said engaging position, said third lobe being turned away from said first and second lobes to permit sliding movement of said slide seat between said engaging and disengaging positions when said cover member is moved to the open position after removal of said shackle from said first, second and third lobes.
2. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second slide channels extends in a horizontal direction.
3. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rear side wall of each of said first and second mounting seats is formed with an elongated limiting hole therethrough, said limiting hole extending along and being communicated with said slide channel in a corresponding one of said first and second mounting seats, said limiting hole in said first mounting seat being aligned with said limiting hole in said second mounting seat, each of said first and second mounting seats having an inner side wall proximate to the other one of said first and second mounting seats, and an outer side wall opposite to said inner side wall, said limiting hole in each of said first and second mounting seats having a communicating end formed through said inner side wall in the corresponding one of said first and second mounting seats, and a limiting end opposite to said communicating end, said limiting end being disposed proximate to said outer side wall of the corresponding one of said first and second mounting seats, said sliding rod being provided with a stop member which projects into said limiting hole in one of said first and second mounting seats and which is movable along said limiting holes in said first and second mounting seats between said limiting ends of said limiting holes for limiting movement of said slide seat between said engaging and disengaging positions.
4. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said slide seat has a top wall formed with a first pivot portion for connecting pivotally with said cover member, and a connecting rod extending downwardly from said top wall, said sliding rod being disposed below said top wall and having a connecting end connected to said connecting rod, and a distal end which is distal from said connecting rod and which is formed with an engaging hole unit for engaging said stop member.
5. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said stop member is formed as a U-shaped body with two opposite ends, said engaging hole unit including a pair of engaging holes for engaging said opposite ends of said stop member.
6. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cover member has an upper end formed with a second pivot portion which is mounted pivotally on said first pivot portion for pivoting about a horizontal axis, said cover member being turnable upwardly relative to said slide seat for moving to said open position, and being turnable downwardly relative to said slide seat for moving to said closed position, said accommodating space opening in downward and rearward directions when said cover member is moved to said closed position.
7. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first pivot portion of said slide seat has a pair of inclined end walls facing said second pivot portion of said cover member, and a pair of first pivot tubes disposed between and projecting from said inclined end walls, each of said inclined end walls inclining downwardly and forwardly and having a concave surface, said second pivot portion having a pair of second pivot tubes that flank said first pivot tubes and that are disposed respectively adjacent to said concave surfaces of said inclined end walls, said first and second pivot tubes being formed with aligned pivot holes, said lock assembly further including a pivot axle extending through said pivot holes in said first and second tubes for connecting pivotally said first and second pivot portions.
8. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover member includes a front cover plate with an inner surface facing said accommodating space and two opposite edges, and a pair of side cover plates extending rearwardly from said opposite edges of said front cover plate and cooperating with said front cover plate to confine said accommodating space, said third lobe extending rearwardly from said inner surface of said front cover plate, each of said side cover plates being formed with a slot that has a size corresponding to a size of said shackle of said padlock and that permits extension of said shackle therethrough.
9. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second lobes has an outer side surface opposite to the other one of said first and second lobes, and a lower edge, said outer side surface being formed with an indented shackle recess that extends downwardly from said shackle hole in the corresponding one of said first and second lobes to said lower edge of the corresponding one of said first and second lobes, said shackle being partially received in said shackle recesses of said first and second lobes when said shackle is extended through said first, second, and third lobes while said padlock is locked.
10. The lock assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second lobes has an outer side surface opposite to the other one of said first and second lobes, and an inner side surface confronting the other one of said first and second lobes, said front side wall of one of said first and second mounting seals being formed with a positioning groove adjacent to said inner side surface of a corresponding one of said first and second lobes, said third lobe extending into said positioning groove when said slide seat is disposed in the engaging position while said cover member is moved to the closed position.
3734552 | May 1973 | Haxton |
3996774 | December 14, 1976 | Best |
4322102 | March 30, 1982 | Lindblom |
4324426 | April 13, 1982 | Michelson |
4745783 | May 24, 1988 | Poe |
4949560 | August 21, 1990 | Anderson |
5174135 | December 29, 1992 | Loughlin |
5477710 | December 26, 1995 | Stefanutti |
6036240 | March 14, 2000 | Hamilton et al. |
6050114 | April 18, 2000 | Park |
6179350 | January 30, 2001 | Ely et al. |
6609739 | August 26, 2003 | Avganim |
Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 5, 2002
Date of Patent: Feb 1, 2005
Patent Publication Number: 20040107744
Assignee: (Taichung)
Inventor: Waterson Chen (Taichung City)
Primary Examiner: John B. Walsh
Attorney: Webb Ziesenheim Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
Application Number: 10/310,308